The Chase
by Drakai
Summary: When a terrible plague sweeps the nation, there's only one team that can rise to the occasion, and deal with the situation before even more lives are lost. But first, Colonel Naruto Namikaze has to assemble them first.


It was a sunny, windy day, perfect for being out an about. And that was exactly what two friends were doing, sitting at a chess table at their local park.

"Bishop to G6." The blond one moved a piece. "And that puts you in check."

"You're getting better at this. But still nowhere good enough. Checkmate." One quick move by the brown haired one and the game was over.

"Wait, how did you…?"

"You left your flank open. Overreached. It left you vulnerable." The two friends stood up, shaking hands. "You'll get there, don't worry."

"Thanks Lee, I…" The brown-haired man doubled over, coughing into his hand. "You ok?

"Yeah, Jeong, I… I'll be fine. It's just a cough. It's been on and off again since I got here."

"Well be careful, yeah? I don't want to find another chess partner."

"You're just embarrassed I've beaten you half-" The man fell to the ground in a heap.

"Lee? Lee!" A gaggle of onlookers gathered. "Somebody call an ambulance! Lee."

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"All reports agree. Catastrophic." Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a puff of smoke in his office, looking over some papers. "Our doctors aren't sure what to make of it, but they all say it's man-made."

"Mad-made? Who could… Orochimaru." Jiraiya swore. "It's always Orochimaru. Alright, let me get a team together and I can…"

"No."

"What? But-"

"Jiraiya." Hiruzen sent a quick glare at the man, quieting him instantly. "You're one of our few active four-star generals. I'm not willing to risk you on a hunt you won't be coming back. And don't even start with me. I know your history."

"Hell." Jiraiya muttered. "What do you suggest then? We can't just sit by and let it happen."

"Of course we can't. But there's only one person who has the training, motivation and connections to deal with this."

"No."

"We need him."

"Old man, if you're not willing to risk me, what makes you think I'm willing to risk my godson."

"Jiraiya, Naruto is one of the best officers we have."

"_The _best."

"Right." Hiruzen dared a small grin. "You're not the only one that cares about him Jiraiya. The boy's been like a grandson to me since he was a child. But he's not one anymore, he's a fully trained colonel, and he is our one chance to stop this before it gets even worse."

"Enough, I get it." Jiraiya smiled sardonically. "'Rangers lead the way', right?"

"Right."

"Fine. I'll be back with him." The white-haired man picked up his hat and walked away, leaving the older general to sit behind his desk, still smoking his pipe.

"I just hope he'll be enough."

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Naruto sighed, fixing the collar of his uniform for what was probably the hundredth time that morning.

"The heat is killing me."

Yesterday, his godfather had reached out to him, calling him to attend a meeting between the two of them and General Sarutobi, the man's old mentor. Jiraiya sounded unusually serious in the call, so Naruto hopped on the first flight that got him close enough.

"Colonel?" The general's silver-haired aid fixed his glasses. "They're ready for you."

"Thank you lieutenant." He walked through the door. "You wanted to see me, sir?" The two men were in the same positions they were in the day before (not that Naruto knew that, of course), both looking tense. "Something's wrong, isn't it."

"Naruto, my boy, how nice to see you again. Sit. Would you like a cigar." Hiruzen smiled at the much younger man.

"I'd like you to tell me what's gotten you two so worked up. Sir." Jiraiya chuckled.

"I see you haven't changed brat."

"And I see you're being serious for once. Sir." Naruto glanced at the window. "The world's not coming to an end, is it?"

"It might be along sooner than you thing." The general behind the desk slid a manila to the blonde. "Latest intel."

"Well, this is… disconcerting." Naruto skimmed through the documents.

"I'm relieved you share our concern in the matter." Hiruzen deadpanned. "The President has approved the formation of a small task force with the specific purpose of stopping that threat. All branches of the armed forces have been briefed, along with all the relevant agencies."

"I'd recommend starting with the CDC. I mean, I'm no doctor, but it says 'disease' here, and that's what they do, right? And why am I here, exactly?"

"Next paragraph."

"Oh." Naruto frowned as he read it. "I see. And I suppose you want me to stop the SciFi threat before it gets any worse? What do we know?"

"Nothing for certain, but let's just say we think we have a snake in the grass. You remember Orochimaru, right?" Jiraiya spat the name out like it left a bad taste in his mouth.

"Yeah. Smart guy, before he went wacko."

"Well, he's still smart, even as a wacko, and something like this is right up his alley. You'll find everything you need in there. All gear you might need will be supplied as requisitioned."

"Alright. And my team?"

"All agencies, all branches. Whoever you need. This is a _very_ serious threat."

"I can see that. Then I'll be starting with an analyst. I'm thinking someone from the private sector."

"A civilian? You have a go, but be absolutely sure you can trust them first."

"I have just the man in mind." Naruto smiled.

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Shikamaru Nara took a drag of his cigarette, watching as the three techs gathered in front of the computer a few workspaces from his muttered, each firing off a solution before being shut down by the other two. Shikamaru was bored. Really, _really_ bored.

"You're doing it wrong." He muttered.

"Don't you know this is a 'no smoking' zone?" One of the techs fired back angrily.

"If they don't like it they can fire me. And the three of you bozos are two keystrokes away from wiping out the last six months of development."

"Look smart guy, we can handle it, alright? It's just a simple matter of de-authorizing…"

"No, please, go ahead. I'll just sit here. Watching." The three men turned back to their computers. "Waiting."

"I swear, if you don't shut up right now I'll…"

"So, is this what you do now?" A voice called from the back. "Still dealing with people ten steps behind you, only this time they get paid too much to know when to shut up and do as they're told." Naruto walked up to Shikamaru with a grin, dressed in khaki pants and a green army shirt. "This must be a special kind of hell for you."

"What are you doing here you bastard? And how did you even get here in the first place."

"It's surprising, the places people will let you in if you flash the right kind of insignia."

"You're pulling rank in a private computer company? Really?"

"If it'll help me get to you, I'm willing to pull more than that." He patted the holster on the right side of his hip.

"And of course you're armed, why am I not surprised. The answer's no."

"Wait, hang on, what answer. Nara, do you know this guy." One of the techs spoke up.

"Oh please." Shikamaru muttered. Naruto just grinned at him. "Boys, meet Col. Naruto Namikaze, 75th Ranger Regiment. He's… a friend." The three men gasped.

"Your hesitation is noted, bub. And what do you mean 'no'?"

"What, have you gone deaf all of a sudden? I'm not going anywhere."

"Come on, man. I need you. You're the best analyst I'll ever find."

"While that's definitely true, it doesn't make me any more likely to come with."

"Are you honestly telling me that you'd rather stay here? With them?" Naruto motioned to the three techs that had stopped what they were doing and were now following the conversation. "Locked here in this little room, with these little people, working on little problems." Shikamaru's eye twitched. "No challenge. No chance to prove you're smarter than someone who you really should have no business being."

"You've gotten better than that." Shikamaru sighed, getting up, taking the jacket.

"Shame I could never get you to do my homework."

"Heh." The black-haired man crushed the cigarette with his shoe. "Tell the boss I quit. And good luck resetting the development." He turned to Naruto. "Now why don't you tell me what's so important you decided to drag me with you on another little adventure. We're not twelve anymore."

"You've been following the news, you tell me."

"Come on, let's go to my place. I have some files you'd probably like to see."

"So then, the game's afoot."

"That was too corny."

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**Welcome to another modern AU. You see them everywhere these days. The story's not necessarily set in America, I'll try avoiding writing things that'll give a concrete setting, but I'm using the American military, because everybody, myself included, knows them better than their own. I blame movies. And TV shows, which this was loosely based on. Well, one episode of one TV show about thieves.**

**And with this new story starts yet another attempt to keep a weekly update schedule.**

**We'll see how it goes. I'm cautiously optimistic.**


End file.
